President’s Report February 2018

Happy New Year! And may it be a rewarding year professionally and in your businesses. Our secretary, Kim Morris has been working hard with David Thompson, our website coordinator to build upon and streamline our new database and website. The objective is that members will be able to enjoy improved access to required information. In addition, improved profiling of our members will be a useful marketing tool.

Dear Members

Happy New Year! And may it be a rewarding year professionally and in your businesses.

Our secretary, Kim Morris has been working hard with David Thompson, our website coordinator to build upon and streamline our new database and website. The objective is that members will be able to enjoy improved access to required information. In addition, improved profiling of our members will be a useful marketing tool.

This week I hope to complete our annual programme of events, member gatherings and workshops. Our Regional Conveners are working hard to finalise topics, speakers and venues. The calendar will be published on the website.

Further to our discussions at our Annual Awards weekend, we have approximately 17 regions supported by Regional Conveners. Our objective is to run between 2 and 5 official CPD workshops per region, depending on the size of the region over the next 12 months. This will be in addition to regular member and guest gatherings being held in some areas such as Sydney, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour and Canberra. If you are in an area where you would like to see a structured regional co-ordination established, please let me or the Secretary know.

Some of the thoughts and opinions expressed at our meetings included: greater enhancement of the Registered
Horticulturist programme;

further develop our alliances;

greater networking opportunities;

greater Social Media accessibility;

focus on strategic and succession planning; and

enhanced marketing of the benefit of using members to the public and industry.

Members should not forget one of the main benefits of membership of the Australian Institute of Horticulture: It is a stamp of responsible professionalism. Members are responsible amongst their peers and to the code of ethics and in my mind this always instills client confidence and adds worthy value. Other benefits such as networking, awards for student and member excellence, communications and continuing professional development are just some of the other reasons why we are members.

I am just back from a weekend on the Gold Coast where we had a wonderful gathering of Gold Coast members and guests. A big thank you to Councillor Patrick Renault MAIH, Mr John Mason FAIH and Sid Dyer for organising the event at the Nerang Community Gardens, and also to John and Leonie Mason for sponsoring the event and holding a wonderful barbecue lunch at their home in Worongary.

Sid is a life member of Irrigation Australia and one of the founders of the Community Gardens. Sid and his associate, Neil Ross, kindly offered the gardens as a venue for workshops and meetings if and when it suits our purposes. I was excited to be at the inception of this new group and we will be able to welcome some new members as a result.